Speed Versus Interpretation Accuracy: Current Thoughts and Literature Review

Whether there is a precise relationship between reading speed and diagnostic accuracy has been an elusive and much debated issue. We discuss the literature and include practical considerations and relevant experience. To our knowledge, no credible relationship has been established between the speed of diagnostic image interpretation and accuracy. Furthermore, no nationally recognized guidelines address these factors, and it would be irresponsible to attribute widespread credibility to anecdotal studies. A variety of factors influence diagnostic accuracy, and length of interpretation time is not an established one.